


Merciful Bounty Hunter (no disintegrations here!)

by Jestana



Series: SWTOR fics [6]
Category: Star Wars: The Old Republic
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-13
Updated: 2015-05-17
Packaged: 2018-02-13 01:24:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 8,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2131788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jestana/pseuds/Jestana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He's a bounty hunter with a soft spot for family and hard-luck cases, though he tries not to show it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. To and On Dromund Kaas

**Author's Note:**

> These are just snippets I've written based on what I experience in the game on my bounty hunter. As such, there'll be spoilers for bits and bobs of the storyline as I encounter them.
> 
> **Edit:** Should mention that I'm using a customization for Mako: [this one](http://tor-fashion.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Mako1Close.png).

"Hey, you okay, Bossman? Those guys hit you pretty hard." Mako glanced over her shoulder at the two men.

The Chiss man nodded, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. "I'm fine, Mako. You don't need to whip out your medpaks for this."

"Looked kind of brutal to me," she relaxed only a little as they continued along the corridor together, returning to the man who'd sent them to the other two in the first place.

Somehow, the glowing red eyes conveyed wry amusement. "Any beating you can walk away from without any broken bones or cracked ribs is _not_ brutal. They were just making a point."

"They could've found another way of doing that," she muttered, inwardly glad that her new friend's handsome face had been left intact, with only a split lip to mar it.

He shook his head slightly, a blue hand resting briefly on her shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about me. It takes more than a beating to bring me down. I just need some rest and I'll be fine. Though I might ask you for a painkiller tomorrow."

"I'll have one ready for you," she assured him as they reached the first man. _Braden was right to pick this guy. I won't let him_ or _Braden down._

* * *

"You're not quite the bounty hunter I expected," Mako observed as she and Fi'golli headed along the walkway to Imperial Intelligence headquarters.

He glanced at her, his mouth quirked curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Bounty hunters have a reputation for being ruthless, cold-blooded killers, but you didn't kill that Sith." That was one decision Mako had agreed with heartily.

Fi'golli raised his eyebrows at her. "You _wanted_ me to kill her?"

"Of course not!" She'd worried about the admiral's reaction to them freezing his daughter instead of killing her outright, but it'd been baseless. "Most bounty hunters would've just killed her outright instead of leaving it up to her father."

He shrugged his broad shoulders, his armor rattling with the movement. "I'm not going to be responsible for ripping a family apart."

Mako glanced up at him, seeing pain lurking in his red eyes. Quietly, she asked, "Did that happen to you?"

"Yeah. Lost my parents because of a gangster's grudge." He spoke gruffly and she saw the hand on his other side clench into a fist. "It's how I ended up as a bounty hunter."

She nodded, deciding to drop that subject in favor of another one. "Why'd you lie about who the master of the Revanites is?"

"All the talk about the Force is a load of Gundark crap as far as I'm concerned." Fi'golli rolled his eyes as he explained. Mako gladly noted the fact that his hand had relaxed. "Those fanatics in the jungle should be free to do what they want. If I can help keep the Sith off their back, I will. It's not my fight."

"Well, it was your decision." They paused outside Imperial Intelligence.

He turned to her with raised eyebrows. "You're not sorry about sticking around?"

"Nope, not sorry." She offered him a smile. "Even though you're not what I expected, I'm glad to be working with you, Fig."

The Chiss made a face at that. "Don't call me that again, please."

"Okay, Bossman."

"I suppose that's better, but not by much."

Mako laughed as she followed him into the building.


	2. Blamorra

"You figured out _she_ was the other bounty hunter?" Mako demanded, gesturing back to where Murghir's body lay beside the Admiral's, both reminding her of broken dolls.

Fi'golli shrugged as they hurried out of the hanger and towards theirs. "Not right away, but there were little things that I noticed."

"Like what?" She couldn't help fidgeting a little as they waited for the lift. The longer they stuck around, the longer they risked getting caught.

The Chiss tapped his foot, his eye on the lift. "She was never far from Lieutenant Major Pirrell for one. Even when he told her to go away, she stayed in the room."

"I'd noticed that," Mako admitted, breathing a sigh of relief when the lift arrived and they stepped aboard. "I figured she just liked him that much."

"You saw how much of a coward he really is," he reminded her, his eyes on the numbers. "Do you really think _any_ female would want to stick around him that much?"

That brought up something else Mako was curious about. "Why'd you kill him anyway? I'm not saying he didn't deserve it. I'm just curious."

" _Because_ he's a coward. He didn't deserve the promotion we were supposed to help him get." The lift reached their level and they stepped off, all but running towards their ship. Stealing it had been such a rush. This felt the same. "Hopefully, with him out of the way, his subordinates will get a decent commander."

She nodded as they hurried up the ramp. "I thought so. He deserved to die."

"Glad you approve."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started to think there was something fishy (besides her breath) when he sent her away, but the cut scene showed her still lingering. Why would they focus on her if she wasn't important?


	3. Nar Shaddaa Fallout

"Why did you let it happen? You said you'd protect me." The figure shuffled closer, lights glinting off of the implants under his nose.

Mako shrank back from his accusing stare. "We had no idea he'd trace our activities back to you. I'd have suggested you hole up on our ship otherwise, I swear!"

"No, you didn't _really_ want me to come along." Anuli pointed an accusatory finger at her face. "You didn't want to share your freedom with me."

She sank to her knees, tears streaming down her face. " _No!_ That's not true! I wanted to get you off of Nar Shaddaa!"

"Mako, wake up." Fi'golli's voice jerked her awake.

Gasping, she shoved herself up into a sitting position, covering her face with shaking hands. Not surprisingly, her face was wet with tears. "Sorry I woke you up, Bossman."

"Bad dream?" His rough voice sympathetic, he offered her a handkerchief.

She took it and wiped her face. "Yeah. I can't help thinking we could've saved Anuli somehow."

"You'll just worry yourself into an early grave, thinking like that." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed lightly. She was suddenly aware that he wore no shirt and his pajama pants rode low on his hips. "We underestimated the Eidolon and Anuli paid the price. If we'd been there, he'd've gotten the drop on us, too."

Balling the handkerchief in her fist, she offered the suggestion she'd made in her nightmare. "We could've told him to hide on our ship."

"The Eidolon would've tracked him to here and still killed him." He rubbed her shoulder soothingly.

Mako blinked rapidly, trying to hold back more tears, whispering, "He was like a brother to me. I want him back."

"I know." Fi'golli gathered her close for a hug, stroking her hair. "The first person I executed was the man who killed my parents."

She hugged him back, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Thanks for giving me that. From now on, though, _you_ execute our targets if necessary, 'kay?"

His bare chest rumbled with a chuckle under her cheek. "Deal." She felt him kiss the top of her head. "I'm sorry about Anuli. He was a good kid."

"He knew the risks that came with helping us." She meant the words for herself as much as him. "We'll just have to make sure his death wasn't in vain by winning the Great Hunt."

He had a grin on his face when she looked up at him. "My thought exactly. We'll win for him and Braden."

"For Anuli and Braden." She offered a fierce smile of her own.

Fi'golli smiled and kissed her forehead. "That's my girl."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured losing her friend like that would have really affected Mako and, though she tries to put on a brave face, it gets to her eventually.


	4. Tatooine

Mako waited until the others had gone ahead before she voiced what she was thinking: "Are you _sure_ about this, Bossman? Most professional gladiators specialize in hand-to-hand combat."

"The best way to handle guys like that is to keep moving and keep shooting." Fi'golli began checking his gear, starting with his blaster pistols, and then moving on to his jet pack.

She helped, as she always did. "I guess, but what if whoever it is manages to corner you?"

"Not if I avoid the corners and stay in the middle." He holstered his pistols once he was sure they were in working order. "This isn't my first fight like this, you know."

When he hefted his jet pack onto his back after ensuring it was ready, Mako helped him secure it. "I know, but I doubt I'll be allowed to help you fight him like I usually do."

"No, you won't, but there's nothing against helping me afterwards." The Chiss turned to her with a grin and a wink.

As her cheeks heated up, she was grateful her dark skin didn't show blushes. "I'll have the medpacks and kolto waiting for you."

"I know I can count on you." Fi'golli leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Let's go."

Mako followed him into the arena and her heart jumped into her throat when she saw the Gamorrean he'd be fighting. _He's_ huge _! How will Fi win against him?_

The fight was difficult, but he won in the end by doing exactly what he'd told her would, leaving Borga dead on the sand. While the others talked, Mako made the Chiss sit so she could tend to his wounds. "Told you I'd beat him."

"I never doubted you'd win." She helped him remove his armored gloves, bracers, and chest plate, and then the undershirt that protected his skin from the armor so she could tend to the gashes Borga's axe had made when it managed to slip past Fi'golli's guard.

Before he could reply, one of the guards ran in to inform them that Tyresius had escaped. His groan of annoyance at the news made his chest vibrate pleasantly under her hands as she smeared kolto gel over the more superficial wounds. "I'm _really_ going to enjoy killing this guy when we finally catch up to him."

"You're not going anywhere until you let these mend," Mako warned him, starting on the deeper wounds now. "We don't want to risk infection in any of these."

Fi'golli grinned cheekily up at her, catching her hand in his to give it a reassuring squeeze, seeming not to mind the kolto gel on her fingers. "Don't worry. I have no intention of ruining all your hard work."

"You'd best not." She returned the squeeze with a fond smile.

Still smiling, he lifted her hand to his lips to brush a kiss across her knuckles. "Thanks, Mako."

"Anytime, Bossman." She fervently hoped he didn't notice how breathy her voice had suddenly become.

The way his smile widened suggested that he had, but he said nothing about it, only slowly releasing her hand. Her heartbeat stuttering in her chest, she resumed patching him up, determined to keep his gorgeous blue skin smooth and flawless.


	5. Alderaan

"Whew!" Mako flopped onto the sofa in the sitting room they'd been given at Thul Palace. Her old apartment on Nar Shaddaa could have easily fit in this room alone. "I almost wish we were back on Nar Shaddaa."

Fi'golli finished removing his helmet and ran his fingers through his sweat-damp hair. "Almost?"

"A lot of bad memories there," she admitted, swallowing the lump that formed in her throat at the memory of Anuli. She still occasionally dreamt about him, and Jory and Braden.

The Chiss nodded, his smile sympathetic as he set his helmet and gloves on one of the tables. "So, why would you almost prefer Nar Shaddaa? The scenery's certainly better."

"Almost _anything_ would be better after Nar Shaddaa." The cyborg rolled her eyes and removed her own gloves and bracers, flexing the fingers of her right hand, which were stiff from firing her blaster so much that day. "It's not the scenery, but the people."

Tossing his bracers on top of his helmet and gloves, Fi'golli walked over to the bar to examine the collection of alcohol. "What's wrong with these people? They're all nobles with impeccable manners."

"Do you not remember that _jerk_ who treated you like a pageboy?" Mako fumed as she thought about the incident. "I wanted to slap him for being so _rude_."

He shrugged as he poured himself a drink. "We're going by _their_ rules while we're here. According to those, we're lower than dirt to the nobles because we're offworlders with no influence or power except what we're given by the Imps or the nobles themselves."

"I hadn't thought of it that way." She tugged her boots off so she could tuck her feet under her on the sofa.

Tossing back his drink, he told her with a shrug, "It's not too different from how things work among my people."

"The Chiss Ascendancy?" She sat up, watching him flop into an armchair, bottle in hand. He nodded. "Could you tell me about it, please? There's not much info on the Holonet."

He shrugged, taking a pull from the bottle. "There's not much to tell. We prefer to keep our secrets to ourselves."

"Please? I won't tell a soul, I promise." Mako all but hung over the arm of the sofa, gazing imploringly at him.

After a long moment, Fi'golli nodded. "All right."

"Yes!"

* * *

Feeling much better for a shower and change of clothes, Mako stretched as she moved from her bedroom to the sitting room. She hesitated just inside the room, however. Fi'golli stood looking out the window at the Alderaanian night, the moonlight brushing an edge of silver on the durasteel armor he still wore (minus the helmet, gloves, and bracers). She must have made some sound, though, because he turned to her and she drew in a breath when she saw the tear tracks on his cheeks. Without thinking, she hurried to his side, "Are you all right?"

"'Mfine." He turned back to the window, scrubbing away the tear tracks with the heels of his hands. "You good?"

Mako nodded, clasping her hands behind her back as she watched him worriedly. "Today was pretty easy. I mean, our target was already dead."

"I can't get his sister's face out of my head," Fi'golli murmured, bracing his forearm against the window and leaning his forehead against it. "She was so sad."

A lump suddenly formed in her throat as she realized why he'd been crying. Clearing her throat, she offered, "She's been impersonating him for awhile. Must not have had a chance to really mourn for him."

"Especially since there was a small chance they could save him." His voice was rougher than usual and her heart broke.

Leaning her shoulder against the window, she kept her voice gentle, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you know how that feels."

"I told you about my parents." He scrubbed at his face again. She nodded, but said nothing. "I had a little sister, too. The gangster took her along with my parents. Didn't get me because I was out trying to get food for us. Came home and they were all gone."

She gasped and reached up to squeeze his hand. "Oh, no."

"Tracked them down to the gangster and found out I was too late. They'd been executed." He let out a ragged breath.

She ignored the tears trickling down his cheek, remembering the little hints he'd dropped before now. "You've always specified your parents when you talked about losing them."

"Yeah, because when the gangster finally deigned to give me their bodies, he only gave me theirs." His expression was bleak when he turned to her. "I still have no idea what happened to my sister. I don't know if she's dead or alive."

Still holding his hand, she stepped closer so she could hug him, as tightly as she could. "I'm sorry, Fi."

"Thanks, Mako." He returned the hug with a shuddering sigh, his armor cold.

She reluctantly stepped back, reminding herself that it'd be a _bad_ idea to get involved. They'd have nowhere to go to get away from each other if it went wrong. "I kind of think of you as an overprotective big brother and Gault's the annoying little brother who gets on your nerves all the time, but you love him anyway."

"Gault's annoying regardless." His mouth twitched into a smile and she wondered if she imagined the flash of disappointment across his face. He squeezed her hand gently "And, yeah, I like having a little sister again."

They turned at the sound of the door to the suite opening to admit the Devaronian. "I thought I heard my name. You kids flatter me."

"Where've _you_ been?" Mako asked as Fi'golli stepped away and began removing his chest plate.

Gault smirked, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "Just here and there. How'd things go today? Did you finally get the Durasteel Duke?"

"Yes." Fi'golli carried his armor into his room and shut the door behind him.

Puzzled, the former smuggler looked at Mako. "What's up with him?"

"Today brought back a lot of memories for him." She shrugged, figuring Fi'golli would tell Gault the details if he wanted him to know. "We'll probably leave tomorrow, so better wrap up any business you were doing here."

He sketched a salute. "Thanks for the warning."

"You're welcome."


	6. Downtime on the Fleet

"May I join you?" Fi'golli's voice startled Mako from her thoughts as she stared out the viewport at the Imperial Fleet.

Turning, she found him standing by her table, drink in hand, and indicating the chair opposite hers. Smiling, she nodded. "Sure, have a seat."

"Thanks." He slumped into the other chair and took a healthy swig of his drink. "Don't think I've ever seen you just _sitting_ before. Everything all right?"

She shrugged. "Yeah. It's just... a _lot_ to take in, you know? This has been quite the week."

"I know." He grinned and leaned forward in his chair. "If you could pick _one_ thing from this week as the most significant, what would it be?"

The cyborg didn't really have to think about it: "Winning the Great Hunt. Braden talked about it so much and wanted it so bad. It feels great to have done it."

"I'm surprised you didn't say killing Tarro Blood." The Chiss raised an eyebrow at her. "We've been gunning for him even longer."

She shrugged again, looking out the window. "It's tied up with winning, to tell the truth. That and finally giving all those deaths meaning: Braden, Jory, Anuli, Hedarr Soongh."

"Good point." He smiled sympathetically, reaching across the table to squeeze her arm.

Trying to lighten the mood, she turned to him with a grin. "What about you? What's the most significant thing from this past week for you?"

"Becoming a Mandalorian." There was no hesitation in his answer: he'd clearly been thinking on it, too. "I have a clan again, a family."

Mako gave him a mock-pout. "I thought _we_ were your family now?"

"You still are, but it feels good to have a larger group to depend on." This time, Fi'golli turned to look out the viewport. "All these years of hunting, I've missed that the most. Having you and Gault on my crew helped, but it wasn't quite the same."

She reached out to squeeze his arm gently. "I understand. And, hey, Mandalorians! They're not the easiest clan to join, but you managed it."

"With your help." He looked back at her with a warm smile. "Thanks."

She grinned back, ignoring the fluttering in her stomach. "Anytime, Bossman."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO MUCH happened for the Bounty Hunter between chapters one and two! *flops over*


	7. Taris

"Medic!" Gault's shout startled Mako as she read through the datapad in her hands.

She looked up as the Devaronian entered the garrison's infirmary, half-supporting Fi'golli, who looked pale and drawn. A human male she vaguely recognized supported the Chiss on the other side, cradling his helmet against his hip. "Gault! What happened?"

"Jicoln thought it'd be a great idea to snipe at us as we played his game." Gault explained as he and the human helped Fi'golli lay down on the other bed.

The human looked around as he straightened up. "Where's the medic?"

"Providing triage support for the effort to drive the Republic off Taris." Mako carefully stood up and moved over to the bed.

The bounty hunter opened his eyes and held up his hand when he saw her. "You're s'posed to be in bed, recovering."

"I've _been_ in bed." She caught his hand in hers began to remove the gauntlet and bracer on it. "Where did he get you?"

At her nod, Gault began removing his other gauntlet and bracer. "Got both forearms, both shins, and a gut shot."

"Even through his armor?" Now that she was looking for it, she could see where the sniper rifle had made holes in the durasteel.

The human worked on Fi'golli's boots. "He's had time to tinker with his sniper rifle."

"I see." They piled the armor on the other bed. She put her hands on her hips as he struggled into a sitting position so he could remove his chestplate as well. "I _know_ you know field medicine, Fi. Did you take care of your wounds at all?"

He smiled sheepishly as Gault helped him out of the chestplate and put it with the rest of his armor. "Just kolto pads." At her annoyed huff, he retorted, "Hey, I didn't want the trail to get cold just for some little scratches."

"These are hardly little." She pushed up the sleeve of his undershirt so she could peel back the pad on his forearm. The pad itself was tattered and bone-dry, all medicine clearly spent. "Did you at least take something to help replace the blood you lost?"

When she turned back from retrieving her medkit, the look on his face answered her question. She shook her head in exasperation and he smiled sheepishly. "I was a little busy."

"Too busy to take a simple supplement?" She made a motion with her free hand and he reluctantly removed his undershirt. There was not only a kolto pad on his stomach and other forearm, but also several scrapes and bruises on his chest and upper arms. She carefully removed the pads, finding them as useless as the first. "Honestly, I can't let you go anywhere without me, can I?"

She ignored the muffled snickers from Gault and the human as she injected a solution to stimulate the production of blood. When she looked up at him, Fi'golli gazed intently into her eyes. "To be honest, I'd rather have you with me."

"I don't know if I should be insulted or not." Gault's comment reminded her they weren't alone and she quickly averted her eyes to finish tending to his wounds.

Recovering her composure, she addressed the Devaronian. "Take it however you like. I'm sure Fi won't care either way."

"C'mon, Gault, given a choice, who would you rather spend time with? Me or Mako?" Fi'golli extended his legs so Mako could roll up the legs of the pants he used to protect his skin from his armor and tend to the wounds on his shins.

She looked up from her crouch to see a thoughtful expression on his face. "What about Thana Vesh? I'm surprised you didn't flirt with her."

"She's too cold and cruel for my tastes." Fi'golli made a face at the thought of the Sith apprentice. "Besides, if I'm not Sith, I'm not worth her time."

The human male nodded his agreement. "If you'd tried to flirt with her, she'd have probably ripped your throat out as soon as look at you."

"Point taken." Mako couldn't forget the way the human female's eyes had just slid over her as if she wasn't even present. "Though that didn't stop you from flirting with Darth Lachris."

The Chiss shrugged and she tried to ignore what that did to the muscles in his chest. "You have to admit that she was different from Thana."

"Well, yeah. She was a Darth. Thana's just an apprentice." She finished with Fi'golli's legs and straightened up so she could rummage in her medpak for a jar of kolto gel.

She stilled when a blue hand covered hers, vaguely aware that the other two had left the medbay. "Besides that. Despite being a Sith, there was a warmth to her that Thana lacks. That was a one-time deal, anyway. You and I both know that there's only one woman I want now."

"I've told you already why we shouldn't." She closed her eyes, desperately resisting the urge to lean into his warmth.

He brushed his lips across her cheek. "You know I think that's just an excuse. I can be patient."

"You'll wait forever, then." She cursed the breathy sound of her voice.

Fi'golli squeezed her hands gently. "Worth it."

It was a long time before Mako's heart stopped racing.


	8. Quesh

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" Torian scrubbed thoroughly with the soap waiting in the shower cubicle.

He could hear the smile in Fi'golli's voice when he replied, "You just did, but you can ask another if you want."

"Thanks." He rolled his eyes at the hunter's sense of humor. "What's going on with you and Mako? I got the impression on Taris that you and she--"

He jumped when he heard something drop in the other cubicle followed by cursing in another language. Finally, the Chiss said, "There's nothing 'going on' between me and Mako."

"But you'd like there to be." He'd seen the way Fi'golli looked at her, how concerned he'd been for her health over his.

A long sigh. "Yeah, but she's said no. I respect that."

"I think she wants it, too. Why is she holding back?" He finished washing his hair and turned off the water, stepping out to dry off.

Another sigh followed by the cessation of water in the hunter's cubicle. "She's afraid."

"Of what?" He frowned, wondering what a smart female like Mako had to be afraid of. "From what I've seen, you'd never raise a hand to her."

The Chiss made an inarticulate sound that nevertheless conveyed his opinion of _that_. "I'd _never_ do that, to her or anyone. I only hurt the people who deserve it."

"Then why is she afraid?" He slipped into the provided tunic and pants and stepped out to sit on the bench.

He looked up when Fi'golli emerged in his own tunic and pants, the white cloth bright against his blue skin. "It's a small ship and she's worried about what would happen if we pursued a romance, only for it to fail."

"There'd be no way of you two avoiding each other." Torian pondered that idea. "That makes sense, but I think it's a moot point now." The Chiss looked at him questioningly and he elaborated, "You two make a good team. I saw you fighting some of those beasts on Dromund Kaas. Though you didn't discuss tactics or strategies, you acted as if you had."

"It wasn't the same with me and Gault?" A blue eyebrow arched questioningly.

He shook his head. "No. I heard you giving him orders. I didn't understand the language, but I could tell they were orders."

"It was Huttese. You spend enough time in Hutt space, you pick it up." He shrugged, though a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Torian nodded. "Yeah, I recognized that much, but I never had the chance to learn."

"I'll teach you, since the rest of us know it, but it won't be for free." Fi'golli looked serious now.

He raised his eyebrows, not surprised. "So what do you want for it?"

"Teach me about Mandalorian culture? Like that game Jicoln played with me." The red eyes were intense and unsettling as they gazed at Torian.

He smiled in spite of it. "Gladly. I'll teach the others, too, if they like."

"Gault would care less, but Mako would definitely appreciate it." The Chiss scowled for a moment.

Chuckling, he held up his hands. "Don't worry. I'll just be her friend."

"Good." The sergeant returned with their gear and the two males slipped into their cubicles to change the next moment.

Torian shook his head. _He has it bad and I'm pretty sure Mako does, too. I wonder if there's a way to get her to see that being afraid of a possible future cheats them both out of the potential for happiness._


	9. Hoth

"This must be a little weird for you," Mako commented as they trotted through the Imperial base. Up until now, Fi'golli was the only Chiss she'd ever seen and now there were so many!

He glanced down at her with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"You're working a bounty for your own people," she pointed out, shivering as they stepped onto the lift just as a blast of icy wind blew through the shaft. "Can't be easy."

The Chiss shrugged, his armor clinking a little at the move. "I'll manage. Besides, they're not my people. Not anymore."

"You wouldn't go back to the Ascendancy if you had a chance?" She couldn't deny the way her heart leapt in her chest at the thought of not losing him after all.

Fi'golli shook his head. "Nah. Hunting's my life now and--" he turned to look at her once they got off the lift. "--you, Gault, and Torian are my people now."

Mako stared at him for a long moment, speechless. Slowly, she smiled shyly. "Thanks, Fi."

"I've told you not to call me that." With an exasperated sigh, he set off through the snow.

Laughing despite the cold breeze that seemed to cut right through her, she caught up to him and gently corrected his direction.

* * *

She didn't fully relax until the carbonite fully encased Vause. Then she holstered her pistol, stormed over to Fi'golli, who'd lost his helmet in the fight, and slapped him as hard as she could. It hurt her hand to do it, but his reaction was worth it. "Ow! Slag, Mako! What was that for?"

"Don't you ever tell me to leave you behind again!" Mako pointed her finger right at his nose as he rubbed his cheek.

He stared down at her in surprise. "It would have been a lost cause if I _had_ fallen and Vause would only have killed you, too."

"I know, but the thought of leaving you behind--" she cut herself off, turning away from him to hide the tears that suddenly stung her eyes.

She flinched when she felt his hands cover her shoulders. "Why do you think I told him to spare you if I lost? I don't want you to die anymore than _you_ want _me_ to die."

"I hate talking about even the possibility," she admitted in a whisper, wrapping her arms around her waist. "I've lost so many people that I cared about. I don't want to even _think_ about losing you, too."

When he replied, she could hear the smile in his voice, "Just 'cause I talk about it doesn't mean I'll actually make it easy for anyone to kill me. I have too many reasons to stay alive for that to happen."

"We'll just leave that contingency plan unspoken from now on, all right?" Mako turned to face him, her heart skipping a beat or two when she realized how closely they were standing.

Fi'golli smiled tenderly and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "All right."

"Let's get this hunk of frozen Trandoshen where he needs to go so we can get off this rock." She stepped back, putting space between them. "I'd like to feel my toes again soon."

He laughed and attached the 'lifts to the corners. "That makes two of us."


	10. After Nar Shaddaa (Reprise)

Once they were in hyperspace, heading away from Nar Shaddaa, Fi'golli told them to get some rest: "We don't know what's coming up, so it's best to be ready for anything."

_"Blizz stay up and keep watch!"_ The other three headed to their bunks.

Mako, on the other hand, couldn't even _think_ about getting some sleep until she'd gotten something off her chest. Once she knew Torian and Gault were asleep and Blizz busy on watch, she pressed the signal for Fi'golli's quarters. After a moment, it slid open and she stepped inside. "Mako? Are you all right?"

She held up her hands to stop any further questions, trying not to stare at the play of light and shadow on his bare chest. "I'm fine. There's just something I need to discuss with you."

"Have a seat, then." He indicated the desk chair as he sat on the end of his bed.

"Thanks." She didn't sit, though, too nervous to do something so sedate as sitting. "I've been doing a lot of thinking since Hoth and everything that just happened helped cement it all."

Fi'golli raised his eyebrows at her. "What were you thinking about?"

"Mostly the fact that I've been letting my fear of a possible future hold me back from enjoying the present." She hid a grimace that she'd used the same phrasing that Torian had when he'd pointed this out to her. "Going after Vause was the first time either of us acknowledged that this work might kill one of us."

He folded his arms across his chest, eyebrows still raised. "That's always been a possibility, Mako. We've seen that first-hand."

"Finding my friends dead isn't exactly the same as _watching_ it happen." She clenched her hands into fists. "The thought of seeing Vause beat you and _enjoy_ it--" Mako swallowed hard, unable to even finish that thought. "Now, with everything that happened on Nar Shaddaa, I realize that I need to grab every chance at happiness that I can."

By the time she finished speaking, he was on his feet, his eyes wide. "What are you getting at, exactly, Mako?"

"I know you wanted a relationship with me in the past, Fi, and I turned you down." She clasped her hands tightly in her lap, her heart racing. "I hope that you still want that relationship, because I've always wanted it, but I was too afraid."

He crouched in front of her, covering her hands with his. "Are you saying this because you really _do_ want this, or--"

"Of _course_ I want this!" She caught his hands in a tight grip. "I wouldn't be here otherwise."

Fi'golli smiled suddenly, bringing her hands up to kiss the backs, and then the palms. "People do all kinds of crazy, stupid slag when they look death in the face."

"Maybe what happened on Nar Shaddaa has something to do with my coming here, but only as an impetus for something I've wanted for a long time already." Mako tried to convey the truth and sincerity of what she was saying in both her eyes and her voice. "I'm not sure what exactly these feelings are, but I won't deny them anymore."

Gently releasing one of her hands, he lifted his to cup her cheek. "I'm glad."

After a moment of waiting, it occurred to her that he was still leaving it up to her to make the first move, to 'seal the deal' as it were. Touched, she didn't hesitate any longer to lean forward and kiss him softly.


	11. Post-Belsavis or Hoth (Reprise)

Mako paced in a tiny circle just inside the hatch to the ship. Even though Blizz had said that Fi'golli and Torian were fine when he returned on his own, she wouldn't believe it herself until she saw them with her own eyes. Especially Fi'golli. She stopped in her tracks when she heard someone entering the access codes for the ship. When the hatch opened to reveal Torian and Fi'golli, relief so overwhelmed her that she could only stand and stare as they entered the ship and closed the hatch behind them. Fi'golli smiled when he saw her. "Hey, Mako. You didn't have to wait for us."

"Of course I did." She rolled her eyes, moving forward to hug both of them in greeting. She shivered at the cold that still lingered on their armor. "There's hot caf waiting in the galley."

Torian looked between them and grinned. "And it's calling my name."

"I see you actually put your medical knowledge to use," she commented, noticing that Torian hadn't even been limping.

Fi'golli grinned and drew her into a kiss that made her toes curl in her boots. "Yeah, figured you would notice that."

"So, what do you say we go get you warmed up?" She trailed her fingers along his neck.

He nodded, stepping back. "Yeah, I could go for some hot caf myself."

"Idiot." Smiling fondly, she tugged him back to her for another kiss.

Chuckling, he followed her to his quarters, where she'd piled extra blankets on the bed. Fi'golli eyed the bed, and then turned to Mako. "You know, as a Chiss, cold doesn't affect me the way it does you."

"You've been traveling the galaxy for most of your life, Fi." She helped him remove his armor, carefully setting each piece aside. "You're not acclimated to the cold anymore."

He shrugged, watching intently as she stripped out of her leathers. "Some things never change."

Down to her underwear, she sat down on the bed and beckoned him. "Are you _really_ going to pass up the chance to cuddle with me?"

"Nope." He smiled and sat down beside her to kiss her again.

She wrapped her arms around him as she kissed him back, barely noticing when he lowered her to lay back on the bed. _I like this way of warming up_ much _better._


	12. Voss

"Do you ever get the feeling that life's going by too fast?" Mako asked as she and Fi'golli lay tangled together in his bed.

He didn't stop tracing idle patterns on her skin with his fingers. "Yeah. It would have been nice to get some R & R after Voss."

"Go anywhere away from the fighting, hole up in a hotel with you." She pressed a kiss to his chest, right over his heart.

His hand slid down to her hip, keeping her close. "Anywhere except Nar Shaddaa."

"Agreed. Too many bad memories there." Mako couldn't stifle a shiver as she remembered everything that had happened there. "I've heard Makeb is nice."

Fi'golli shook his head. "You really wanna go to some tourist trap?"

"I just want you all to myself off this ship without anybody shooting at us." She pressed closer to him, sighing softly when he tightened his grip around her.

His chest rumbled under her with his chuckle. "I can get behind that. Soon as Tormen cuts me loose, we'll go somewhere quiet and stay there for a week. Or two."

"Or three." She kissed his throat as she slid her hand down his chest and stomach. "Got a lot of wasted time to make up for, after all."

He groaned when she wrapped her hand around him, his fingertips digging into her skin. "No time with you is ever wasted, Mako."

"You say the sweetest things." She grinned and kissed him hungrily.


	13. Corellia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MAJOR SPOILERS for the end of the Bounty Hunter storyline

"You know Mako will kill you if you die, right, Boss?" Torian asked as he used Fi'golli's portable scanner on his neck.

The Chiss eyed him skeptically. "You know that doesn't make sense, right?"

"Emotions never do." The human handed him the scanner so he could study the readout for himself.

After a moment, Fi'golli nodded. "No lasting damage, but I expected as much from Tormen. He knows how to torture his toys without breaking them permanently."

"I'm sure Mako would prefer he didn't torture you at all." They continued on their way out of the building. "Speaking of her: I've noticed that you two are rarely far apart these days. At least on the ship."

The bounty hunter shrugged, a smile flashing briefly across his face. "Yeah, the two of us came to an understanding."

"I'm happy for you both." They both paused once they exited the building, scanning for potential attackers. Once they'd determined no one was coming, they continued on their way. "Do you think you'll ever have kids?"

Durasteel clinked when Fi'golli shrugged. "Not genetically compatible to have kids of our own."

"Adoption's always an option, especially for Mandalorians." He figured it wouldn't hurt to remind his friend of that option.

The Chiss hummed thoughtfully. "I'll keep that in mind. We have a job to finish right now."

"Just thought I'd give you more incentive to keep yourself alive so Mako doesn't hunt you down and kill you."

"Didn't I tell you that doesn't make sense?"

"It's not supposed to."

* * *

"Fi! You're all right!" Mako flung her arms around him in a tight hug when he and Torian returned to their ship. "Did you get him? Is Seros--?"

He hugged her back and kissed her cheek. "He's dead. We've avenged our friends' deaths."

"I'm so glad." She slumped against his chest, feeling as if a weight had just lifted from her shoulders. "Their deaths weren't in vain."

Torian clapped Fi'golli on his shoulder as he started for the stairs up to the cockpit. "We're not quite done yet, Mako."

"What more does Tormen want you to do for him?" she demanded, looking from his retreating back to her lover, who offered a faint, sheepish smile. "You took care of that privateer on Belsavis, the Kuati noble-slash-general on Voss, and now whoever it was on Corellia besides that Jedi master. What more does he _want_ from you?"

He glanced around, and then led her into his quarters, shutting the door behind them. "Killing Jun Seros avenged the others' deaths, but it's not what _Tormen_ wanted. His ultimate target for me has always been Supreme Chancellor Janarus. He said as much when he first hired me."

"That's _insane_!" She wrapped her arms tight around him, clinging to him. "Does he have _any_ idea the kind of security and defenses you'd be facing, going after the leader of the Republic government?"

Gently, he pried her loose so he could meet her eyes. "Yes, he does, and already came up with a plan to get me close to him."

"You're going through with it?" She clasped his hands tightly. "You could be going to your death! I can't lose you!"

Fi'golli lifted her hands to his lips, pressing kisses to the palms. "I _need_ to do this. He's the only one who can clear my name. At least of the slag we _didn't_ do. Unless I talk to him, I'll always be at the top of the Republic's most wanted list. I don't know about you, but I'd rather be on there for slag I _actually_ did."

"I get it." She nodded, swallowing back the tears that pricked at the backs of her eyes. "Just don't die. Otherwise I'll hunt you down and kill you myself."

He gave an exasperated sigh. "First Torian, now you. That makes _no_ sense."

"Love doesn't have to make sense, big guy." She stretched up on her toes and kissed him softly. "Come back to me, all right?"

Smiling, he gave her a kiss that made her wish they had more time alone so she could properly jump his bones. "I love you, too, Mako."


	14. Afterwards

He panicked briefly when he woke up alone. It faded when he sat up and saw Mako standing at the window, clad only in-- he rubbed his eyes --yeah, that was _his_ tunic. Stifling a yawn, he got up and joined her, slipping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. "You all right?"

"I'm fine." She leaned back into his chest, resting her arms over his. "Just watching the sun rise for once. Don't get to see many of them in our line of work."

Humming his agreement, he pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. "Nice change of pace. Could get used to it."

"Admit it, you'd hate to be stuck on one planet for the rest of your life." She tilted her head to one side and he could feel her pulse speeding up under the touch of his lips.

He slid one hand under the tunic, cupping her breast. "As long as you were with me, it wouldn't be so bad."

"You say the-- oooh --sweetest things." She leaned back against him even more as he slid his other hand between her legs.

Smirking, he asked her, "Have you ever made love as you watched the sun rise?"

"You _know_ the answer to that one." Her answer ended on a moan as he teased her.

Afterwards, as they leaned against the window catching their breath, he told her quietly, "I can't see myself ever giving this up."

"Giving what up?" It took some creative shifting on both their parts, but Mako managed to turn in his arms without losing their closeness.

He smiled and gently stroked her cheek. "Us. I know you were afraid of what would happen if things went to slag between us, but I honestly don't think that'll happen."

"Me, either," she admitted quietly, tracing patterns on his chest with her fingertips.

Catching her hand, he pressed a kiss to her fingertips. "On a scale of one to ten, do you see yourself married to me?"

"If it's you asking? Ten." She smiled up at him, her eyes suspiciously moist. "If it's Gault? Negative fifty."

He laughed and scooped her into his arms, spinning them around. "What d'you say we make it official before we leave?"

"What, you mean elope?" She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders. "You don't want to put more planning into it?"

He shrugged, carrying her over to the bed now. "Just need you, me, an official, and at least two witnesses to make it legit."

"Who would be our witnesses?" She shifted so she straddled his lap when he sat down. "The rest of our crew?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Who else would we ask?"

"Good point." She kissed him as she began to move her hips against his. "Enough talking. Let's start the honeymoon early."

"I'm up for it."

"I can tell."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is all I have written for now, but the new expansion is giving me IDEAS, so we'll see.


	15. Shadows of Revan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mako doesn't agree with Fi'golli's decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight spoilers for the Bounty Hunter quest on Rishi.

Mako waited until they'd left cantina before rounding on Fi'golli. "You're seriously going to help her smuggle stuff to Dromund Kaas?"

"She spent most of her money paying us to avenge Crysta," he reminded her with a shrug. "The least we can do is help her get some of it back."

She rolled her eyes as she walked with him along the boardwalk. "Smuggling on Dromund Kaas, though?"

"We'll get a cut of the profits, don't forget." He slid his arm around her shoulders.

Sighing, she slipped her arm around his waist. "All right, so long as it's not spice or slaves or anything like that."

"That's part of the deal." Fi'golli pressed a kiss to her temple. "I'd no idea you felt so strongly about it. You don't mind bounty hunting."

Mako shrugged, hooking her fingers through his belt. "I don't know, there's just something about it that doesn't feel right to me."

"We don't exactly follow the law ourselves, you know," he reminded her.

She felt her cheeks heat at some of the 'illegal' things she'd done to help with their bounty hunting and ducked her head. "I guess it just feels like they don't have a code they follow, like we do."

"Not all bounty hunters follow the same code and it's the same with smugglers." He kissed her cheek this time. "Let's not worry about it, anymore, all right?"

"You're right. It's done and there's no point fussing over it." She rested her head on his shoulder. "We still have some time to kill before we go see what's going on with this Torch. What do you want to do?"

He rested his cheek against her hair for a moment. "I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. Want to get a bite to eat?"

"Now that you mention it--" she smiled sheepishly when her stomach rumbled.

Fi'golli laughed. "That's answer enough, I'd say."

"Yeah."


End file.
